NSFC Major Research Plan“Cognitive Computing of Visual and Auditory Information”2009 Project Guide for Key Funding Project

(Released on August 26, 2009)

Scientific Targets

Focusing on major national demands and making important contributions to ensure the national security and public safety, to promote the development of information services and related industries and to raise the level of national life and health, the overall scientific targets of this Major Research Plan are to study and construct new computational models and methods based on the human visual and auditory cognitive mechanism and by giving full play to the advantages of interdisciplinary of information sciences, life sciences and mathematical sciences to improve the computer’s comprehension ability of unstructured visual and auditory perception information and its processing efficiency of massive heterogeneous information and overcome the bottleneck difficulties in the images, speech and text (language) information processing.

The expecting progresses are as follows: the important progresses will be made in the basic theory research of visual and auditory information processing; the major breakthroughs will be achieved in three key technologies such as the collaborative computing of visual and auditory information, the Chinese understanding and the brain-computer interface related to the visual and auditory perception; and the unmanned vehicle verification platform with the perception ability to natural environment and the intelligent decision-making capability will be developed by integrating the related research achievements mentioned above, where its main performance indicators should reach the world advanced level. Therefore, the purpose of this Major Research Plan is to enhance China’s overall research strength in the field of visual and auditory information processing, to cultivate outstanding talents and teams with international influence and to provide the research environments and technical supports for the national security and social development.

I. Key Funding Project to Be Funded

Research Direction of the Key Funding Project: Intelligent Testing Standards and Environmental Design of Unmanned Vehicle

This Key Funding Project is set around the overall scientific targets of the Major Research Plan “Cognitive Computing of Visual and Auditory Information”, and its objective is to regulate the competition of unmanned vehicles in 2010 and in the future, to scientifically and accurately evaluate the phased research results of the unmanned vehicle platform and related researches, and to further ensure the realization of the overall scientific targets of the Major Research Plan.

This Key Funding Project should focus on the core scientific issue of how to test and evaluate the intelligent behavior of the unmanned vehicles in unknown environment, and the main research should include the following works: (1) Test contents (what is tested); (2) Design of testing environment (testing under what kind of environment); (3) Test methods and techniques (by what methods and means); (4) Testing standards and evaluation system (what kind of standard system as well as how to evaluate).

The Key Funding Project is divided into two phased research objectives:

(1) To carry out related researches by selecting some basic, fundamental and common testing contents to provide testing environment, test method and techniques as well as the testing standards and evaluation system for the competition of unmanned vehicles in October; 2010

(2) To establish a relatively complete evaluation system and to provide the evaluation theory, method and techniques with international leading level.

The application unit for this Key Funding Project should have not only a good research basis for the work but also the ability and good supporting conditions of environment to host the competition of unmanned vehicles in 2010 and in the future as a third-party contractor. The units that have undertaken or participated in the project of “unmanned aerial vehicle platform” can apply this key funding project as a participating unit but not the supporting unit.

Two key funding projects will be funded with the funding intensity about 2.5 million RMB Yuan/project, and total funding is approximately 5 million RBM Yuan.

II. Notes for Application

(1) Before writing proposals, the applicants should read this Project Guide carefully. The proposals which are out of the range of the Announcement and Project Guide will be not accepted.

(2) When filling in the application form, “Major Research Plan” must be indicated in the column of funding category, “Key Funding Project” in the column of sub-category, and “Cognitive Computing of Visual and Auditory Information” in the annotation. (Inaccurate or blank selection proposals will be not accepted) Appropriate application code should be selected according to the specific research contents.

(3) All applications will be handled by the Division of General Affair, the Department of Information Science.